Method of controlling moving vessels or vehicles.



Patented Oct. 23, i900.

s. AQnsxe. Y HETHDD 0F CORTBOLL|N-G MOVING VESSLS 0R VEHICLES.

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i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE -aAnLEY A. FlsKE, oF TnE UNITED'sTATEs NAVY, AssiGNoR To THE WESTERN, ELEcTR-ic COMPANY, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

M ETHOD OF CONTRULLING MOVING VESSELS R VEHICLES.

srscufioarxon raming part of Letters Patent No. 660,156, dated october 2s, 1900;

Original application filed' September 7, 1898, Berll No. 690,483. Divided and this application led April 2, 1900. Buhl A lo. 11,043. No model.)

Y To au whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, BRADLEY A. FISKE, lieutenant-commander United States Navy,l

' residing at NewYork, in the county of New 5 York and Stat-e of New York, have invented Va certainnew and useful Improvement in' Mcihods of Controlling Moving Vessels or Vehicles, (Case No. 4,) ofwhich the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description. A My invention relates to an improvement in vthe art of controlling from a distance the mechanism of moving vessels or vehicles, my object being,r to obviate the-necessity of physical connection by other than the natural medie. in space between the moving object and vthe distant station from which itis to be controlled.

My invention is especially applicable 10 automobile torpedoes or other water craft,aud 2o the motor devices or mechanism controlled by my improved apparatus may, be applied'or adapted to the doing of any desired Work in 'connection with the movingy body. For in stance, my invention is of'especial value when use is made of it to control the steering mechanism of the vessel, and makes it possible to control the movements ol a torpedo with great 'certainty from a shore, from the deck of a ship, or the l-ikefwithout being` hampered by 3o certain practicaldicubies whiclrhave heretofore stood in the way of successfully accomplishing such a result.

The principal reason why automobile tor-.

Apefdoes are not more extensively used in naval 35- warfare is that with the apparatus heretofore availableit has been extremelydiiicult while launching the torpedo to aiiri it with suglicieut precision to strike the enemys shlp.

It is usual at this time to launch orre tor- A 4o pedoes from pneumatic tubes mounted upon carriages.` 'lhese torpedo-tubes are placed It has heretofore been proposed to connect the torpedo with the ship by means of ah electric cable, which is carried by the torpedo and unreeledl as the latter continues on its course.l This plan, however, has been found to be objectionable on account of the great length and weight of cable which is required for such a purpose, and numerous other practical diiculties have stood in the way of its successful operation.

- In accordance with my invention at th point from whichthe mechanism upon the moving object is to be controlled means are provided for producing Waves, impulses, or radations-such, for instance, as the phe- -nomena known as Hertzien wavcsand which may be described for convenience as vibrations or disturbances of the universal ether, and upon the moving object motor mechanism for performing certain workupon the moving vessel-such, for instance, as the work of operating the steerng-gear-is'associated with a local circuit upon the vessel,

' which circuit controls the said motor'mech cated on shore or upon the ship fromwhicll the torpedo is launched, such radiator being capable of transmitting electrical waves of 9o such peculiar and distinctive character or interrupted at such intervals of tmeas to constitutcdistinctivesignals. The rudder of the torpedo may be connected with electromagnotie-motor'mechanisr'n for changing its po- 95 sition, whereby the torpedo may be steered, v Vand this electromagnetic ino-tor or steering mechanism Vmay be associated with a local circuit or circuits and a source of current,

such circuit being sensitive to or includinga loo eco-e device which 'is sensitive to the wave-signals sent out by the tmnsmitting-stat-ion, means being providedwhereby said circuit may select or respond to distinctive signals and 5 thus control different movements of the steering apparatus. It is desirable that the apparatuson the torpedo should be capable of reveiving and selectinga number of dilerent signals which may beset up at the transmitxo ting-station, `so thatdierent movements of the steering mechanism may he produced. For this purpose the responsive device may consist of a circuit including a; source of current, such circuit being sensitive to o'rincludx5 ing a device such as a coherer, which is sensitive to electrical waves, and a number of signal-receiving instruments may be associated with the circuit which includes the coherer, each of said signabreceiving instru- 2o ments being adapted torespond only when a distinctive signal peculiar to itself is impressed uponthe receiving-circuit which includes the receiving-instruments and the coherer. To'illustrate, `suppose that the circuit upon the torpedo includes two signal-receiving instrumen-ts, each of-which is adapted to respond toa pulsating or intermittent current of electricity of a given periodicitythat is, suppose that one of the instruments 3o will respond to an electric current which is varied or interrupted at a given rate-say i..

times per second-and let the other signal-receiving instru ment be adaptedto respond to a currentwhich is varied or interrupted at a.

dilerent rate, say t' times per second. Let each of these signal-receiving instruments be so associated that when one of them is thrown into action the steering mechanism will be 4influenced in a particular way and when the 4o other is thrown into act-ion the steering mechanism will be influenced in another and different way. Now, it is evident 'that' if the radiator at the transmitting-station be caused to send out electrical wavesintermittently at the rate of times per second, the coherer, when properly adjusted, by absorbing these intermittent waves or'vibrations will inter# mittently at the rate of I. times per second decrease the resistancebf the local circuit 5o which includes the signal-receiving devices, thereby producing in such local circuit a puisating current with a corresponding frequency. One of the two signal-receiving instruments therefore will respond and influence the electromagnetic steering mechanism in the predetermined way, but the other .receiving instrument will remain inactive.- Likewise it will be evident that the latter instrument may be actuated by causing the oo radiator a't the'transmittingstation to send out electrical waves intermittently at' the rate of t times per second. It will 'be seen that by providing two-such receiving. instruments adapted one to control electromagnetic mechanisrn for puttingthe helm of -the torpedo to starboardand the other to control similar mechanism for putting the helm to port if signals-or electrical impulses having a periodicity or pitch corresponding to that of the receiving instruments on board the torpedo 7o are sent out from the transmittingstation by means of theHei-tzian waves the torpedo may be steered 'at will from the translnitf" ting-station by sending out signalsto'actuate either one or the other of the receiving 75 instruments. The movements of the torpedo through the water lcan usually he followed by the eye by4 watching the airhubbles that rise to the surface of thewater, or the torpedo j maybe provided with apparatus for gener-'8o ating calcium-phosphide gas.which rises to the surface of the water and burns. Thcse means are .well known. Without going into f' detail it may be stated that the torpedo may be kept at a uniform depth-say about tenv 'feet under waterhy mechanism which is controlled by a hydrostatic piston.

This is old in the art and needs no further description.

I will describe the details of my invention 9o more particularly by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic illustration o f a torpedo embodying my invention, this View being intended only to show the relative po- 95.

sitions which are occupied by the explosive, the air-tanks, the engine or other propelling means, and the electrical steering apparatus which forms the subject of this application. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the transmittigtop station for sending out Hertzian wavesof the required character. Fig. 3shows in diagram the responsive appamtusprovided on the torpedo for receiving signals sent ont by the transmitting-station, and thereby actuating :o5 fthe electrical steering mechanism.v The sume letters of reference are used to designate similar parts wherever they are shown.

In the stern of the torpedo a. are provided no two solenoids b b", having a core b2 common to both of them. This core carries a pin b, which engages a slot c'.- provided' in the end of the helm c. The helm 'is'associated with the rudderin the usual manner. It will therex15 fore be seen that if the solenoid b isenergized and drawsn the core the' helm will be put to port, and that if, on the other hand, the s0- lenoid b' is energized and the core b attracted thereby the helm will be put to starboard. 'x26' Now it will be understood that if means are provided for energizing either the solenoid b Yor the solenoid b' at will the torpedo may be steered in the direction desired. To elect this t-he solenoid b is included in a local cirx25 lcuit/with a battery or source of current d.'

Similarly the solenoid b' is included in a local circuit with a battery e. The solenoid b, how` ever, is normally short-circuited at d' through the resistance and likewise the solenoid b |30 is normally short-circuitedat e through the resistance e; The means for short-circuiting the solenoid b consist of a recd or spring d,VA

normally resting upon the contact d, while si milarlyconsist in a reed orispringcinormallyv resting upon a contact e?. Immediately under the reed ds is mounted the reed f2 of the.

receiving instrument f, such. reed f2 being placed in inductive relation to the magnet-f' of said receivingI instrument. The reed f2 has a characteristic pitch or rate of vibration and is adapted to be thrown into vibration only when electrical impulses of the sante characteristic periodicity are impressed upon the circuit which includes its electromagnet f', When. however, the reed f2isthus th rown into vibration, it strikes the end of the spring or reed d3, whose rate of vibration is relativelymuch slower, and raises the spring ds from its contact d4, thereby breaking the circuit 'of the battery d at that point. The current of the battery thereupon will flow only through the solenoid b, which will of course be energized. The circuit will remain broken at d' as long as the reed f2 continues to vibrate.

A receiving instrument g, consisting of the magnet g' and reed g2, is disposed inl front of the reed cs and is similarly adapted to open the circuit of the battery e at the point e'. The reed g has a characteristic pitch or rate of vibration which is different from'thc pitch 'of the reed f2V and will be thrown into vibration only when electrical impulses of a periodicity corresponding to its characteristic pitch are impressed upon the circuit including the magnet g'. The receiving instrumcntsf and g are included in series in a local circuit with the battery or source of current h, the continuity of this circuit being controlled by a coherer i, which is adapted to respond to llertzian waves set up by a radiator at the tranemitting-station. 4o

l The form of coherer which is shown in the drawings is well known, but for the sake of clearuess will he briefly described. A glass tube is tted with two silverpole-pieces {"1",

attached to rods i2 F, which project out through the ends of the tube and are engaged by copper strips orbrushes 1"* i3, forming the terminals of the circuit which includes the battery l1 and the receiving instruments f and g. Choking-coils L" l" are provided in the circuit, one 4between the receivinginstrument f and the brush e and another between the receiving instrument g and the other brush i".

The rods i2 l? are mounted in bearings isf' to permit the rotation of the glass tube.

Between the pole-pieces 41l' i' is provided a small quantity of powder, which may consist of a mixture of silver and nickel filings with a slight trace of mercury. Normally when the powder is in a disordered condition the resistance of t-he path through the coherer is extremely high-approximately twenty thousand ohmsbut when its absorption'of electric waves set up by the radiator is intense the particles of powder cohere, and the resistance of this path drops to something;r like l live'ohms, thereby practically closing the circuit. The powder remains cohered unless 'ecoute i the tube is mechanically agitated, and to decohere the powder I preferably rotate the tube on its axis in the bearings i5 5. This may be done by a belt passing from the pulley i? to the pulley 17 of a small motor, which is kept constantly running. f v

The transmittica-station is illustrated in Fi .v2. The Hcrtziau radiator consists, as' usual, of three solid brass balls in alinement, the outer halls bein;r connected to the terminals of the secondary winding of an indnction-coil I. duction-coil is included iu circuit with abathreak pieces n'and o'. 'lhe make-andhreak piece n consists of a reed n2, whose character- ,istie pitch or rate of vibration is the same as that of the reed f of the receiving instrument f, say t tinies per second. Similarly the reed aeteristic pitch or rate of vibration corresponding to that of the reed g2 of the receiving instrument g, say t' times per second. The reeds 'n.2 and o2 are kept in constant vibrat ion by means of magnets nsf o9. whichare included iucircuit with a loca-l batter-yp, and being in constant vibration alternately make `and break contact with their respective contact-anvils-n4 o, which are connected with one terminalof the battery m. A condeuserq is connected in .multiple wit h thecontacts of the vibrating makc-andbreak pieces and the keys '-21 and ol to suppress the sparks which would otherwise manifest. themselves. When the key n is depress-ed, therefore, it will be linderstood that the radiator k will be caused tosend out Hertzian waves whose frequency may be millions per second; but t-he operation of t-he radiator is intermittently interrupted by the make-and-hreak piece n','l. times per second, which we have assumed to he thechamrterist-ic pitch or rate of vibration of the reedf, associated with the receiving,r instrument f 'upon the torpedo. The powdcrof the coherer i then will be influenced by the Ilerlziau waves, which are intermittently set u p, as described, an`d will alternately cohere and decohere as man times in a second as the production of llertziauV waves from thcradiator k is interrupted. stilts in intermittently reducing the cohen-er, battery h, and the ttvoreceiviug instruments itis manifest that a pulsating current whose frequency is/ will be produced in such local circuit. Therefore the reed f2, whose characteristic pitch or rate of vibration we have assumed to bc f, is thrown into vibration; but the reed e", which vibrates at t' times per second, will remain quiet. The reed f2, being thrown in to vibration, will actin the mauner heretofore described and open at the point d', the short circuit which includes the battery d thus'causing the current from said battery to bedircctcd' through the solenoid The primarywinding of the in- This action, of course, re-t Since we have assumed the rate of interi-ugr4 tion atthe radiator to be t times per second,Y

Atet-ym, keys n and o, and vibratingmake-aud#v o2 of the, make-and-break piece o' has achari oo urs-

. have the same b, energizing the latter and putting the helm to port. In like manner if vthe key o is d epressed intermittent impulses having a pe-` riodicity corresponding to the rate of vibration of the reed g2 will be sent through the primary of the indnction-coil by means of the vibrating make-and-break piece o', and these intermittent impulses will affect the coherer on the torpedo-boat to cause intermittent imf pulses of the same periodicity to be supplied to the circuit which includes thereceiving instruments f and g. Since these impulses periodicity as the rate of vibration of the reed g2, the latter will be thrown into vibration and current from the battery e thereby directed throu gh the solenoid b' and the helm put to starboard'. It' will thus be seen that by depressing either the key u or the key o the torpedo may be steered in one direction or the other, as desired. An especial advantage of this arrangement is that the torpedo may be launched on the opposite side of the ship from the point'which it is desired to att-ack and from which fire may be directed upon the ship, so that there is no danger of the torpedo being struck by aneuemysshotand exploded while beinglaunched.

In Fig. 3 I have illustrated diagrammatically in dotted lines a supplemental coherer which may be included in multiple with the' coherer i. This may be desirable in some. cases to increase the sensitiveness of the signal-receiving apparatus acting as a guard against failure of the apparatus to operate if for any reason the coherer L' should not work properly-that is to say, one of the coherers may respond alittle more readily than the other to Hertzian waves of a given -wave length or from a given distance, and the two may therefore be included in multiple with thecircuit to he controlled, so that if one does not respond as quickly as it Should the circuit may yet be controlled by the other. Such a supplemental coherer will not, however, in all cases be necessary or desirable, since or dinarily one coherer alone will be suiiicient for the purpose..

This application is a division of my prior application, Serial No. 690,433, filed September 7, 1898.

lIavin g thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Pat-v ent the following:

1. The herein-described improvement in the art of vcontrolling the movementsor op#y 'which are conveyed to the vessel by the natu-I l t ral media, and controlling by their influence exerted at a distance electromagnetic'motor devices on the vessel ,orvehicle, which control the operatingmechanism thereof, as set forth. y The herein-described improvement in the `art of controlling the .movements or operation ofa vessel orvehicle, Vwhich consists in establishing a region of waves orfdisturbances and actuating by their influence ex-4 erted at a distance, electromagnetic motor devices on such vessel which controlthe operating mechanism thereof, -as set forth.v y

'lhe herein-described improvement in 0. the art of controllingT the movements or operation of a vessel or vehicle, which consists in establishing a region of electrical waves or disturbances and'actuating by their inuence exerted at a distance the devices on said vessel or vehicle which control the operating 'mechanism thereof, as set forth;

4. The herein-described improvement in the art of controlling the movements or operation of a vessel or vehicle, which consists in providing on the vessel a circuit controlling the operating mechanism of the vessel,

adjusting or rendering such circuit sensitive to waves or disturbances of a definite characier, establishing a region of such waves or disturbances, and rendering by their indu ence the controlling circuit active orinac tive, as sot forth.

5. The herein-described improvement in the art of controlling the movements or operation of a vessel or vehicle, which consists in providing in the vessel an electric circuit controlling electromagnetic motor devices for operating the mechanism of the ves-" scl, adjusting or rendering such circuit sensitive to etheri`c. waves or disturbances, establishing a region of such waves'or disturbances, and rendering by their-influence the controlling circuit active or inactive, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 12th day of March, A. D. 1900.

BRADLEY. A. FISKE.'

Witnesses: v ARTHUR G. F. Locnwoon,

,Clust CAMPBELL. 

